Western Landowners to host Forest Stewardship Tour in Colorado

Western Landowners Alliance, a member-based nonprofit organization focused on advancing policies and practices that sustain working lands, connected landscapes and native species, announced their plans for a free land stewardship and policy tour focused on forest management practices.

WLA's annual stewardship and policy tours provide exceptional examples of skilled land management that benefits wildlife, landscape, communities and landowners' economic health and success. Designed for landowners, managers and practitioners, these tours provide participants the invaluable opportunity to interact directly with one another and share firsthand knowledge of proven best practices while engaging in meaningful dialogue about key farming, ranching and environmental issues.

"The Western Landowners Alliance is founded on a shared community of interest and practice committed to achieving healthy and connected landscapes, sustained fish and wildlife populations, and long-term economic vitality," said Lesli Allison, executive director for WLA. "This tour helps bring knowledge from those who've done it, to those seeking to improve the land. It's only through knowledge sharing that we'll be able to achieve long-term prosperity while conserving our lands, water and wildlife for future generations," Allison said.

The first of WLA's 2017 Stewardship and Policy tour series consists of a day-long event on June 22 in the Colorado State Forest, located 20 miles east of Walden in the southern end of the Medicine Bow Mountains and the northern end of the Never Summer Range. These lands are owned by the Colorado State Board of Land Commissioners (State Land Board) and managed by the Colorado State Forest Service.

John Twitchell, CSFS District Forester, will share the challenges of actively managing in a high-altitude forest that is also a popular recreation destination, an important grazing resource for surrounding ranches, and the headwaters of the North Platte River. The tour will evaluate recent and past forest treatment sites and discuss management techniques that maintain or enhance diverse uses in the Colorado State Forest and could be applicable to management of private forest lands. Topics will include harvesting methods utilized specifically for beetle killed timber; changing economics of harvesting timber in northern Colorado; and management techniques around forest thinning, controlled burns, and multi-use needs including applications for private landowners.

Additional tour details, including directions to the meeting location and the schedule for the day, will be sent to registered participants. Attendance is limited. RSVP to virginie@westernlandowners.org by June 19.